THE biggest hotel guest faux pas have been revealed – including jumping the breakfast buffet queue, washing undergarments in kettles and stealing from rooms.
Other frowned upon acts include reserving pool chairs with towels for long periods, leaving rooms excessively messy and being loud in the hallways late at night.
Smoking or vaping in hotel rooms is also considered a no-no, as are putting the incorrect number of guests on the reservation and leaving alarms or phones to ring without turning them off.
While not reading reviews when booking and not collecting or cashing in rewards points are also viewed unfavourably.
In response, Hotels.com, which commissioned the research, is offering holidaymakers £100 in ‘Hotels.comCash’ for future trips after staying for 10 eligible nights through its rewards programme.
Melanie Fish, travel expert and spokesperson for the global marketplace, which has also teamed up with William Hanson for a ‘Grand Etiquette Hotel’ guide, said: “Small tweaks can make a world of a difference.
“Taking the time to check reviews or making the most of rewards can turn a good trip into a great one, and help your travel budget stretch further, too.”
Researchers found the vast majority (90 per cent) consider themselves to be considerate guests – although 39 per cent think residents have become less respectful in recent years.
Other divisive acts include hanging damp laundry on the balcony, not leaving a review after staying and being rude to staff.
Sneaking extra guests in and constant public displays of affection around the pool are also frowned upon by hotel guests.
WILIAM HANSON’S GRAND ETIQUETTE HOTEL GUIDE:
1. THE ART OF ENGAGING STAFF WITH DIGNITY – Treat every member of staff, from the cleaner to the manager, with genuine respect and an open ear.
2. HALCYON HALLWAYS (AND THE VIRTUE OF SILENCE) – Corridors are not thoroughfares for celebration, but shared spaces requiring a degree of restraint.
3. LIBATIONARY LESSONS – A well-enjoyed drink need not become a public performance. Moderation is key, particularly in shared spaces where one’s behaviour is on quiet display.
4. ON BURNING EMBERS AND BETTER JUDGEMENT – Hotel rooms are designed for comfort, not combustion. Lighting a cigarette indoors undermines both the space and the experience for future guests.
5. HOUSEKEEPING IS NOT AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY – Keeping your space in reasonable order (not pristine, but certainly not chaotic) ensures that housekeeping can do their job efficiently.
6. LAVATION GENTILITY – The kettle, charmingly utilitarian as it is, exists for hot drinks only. Incredulously, some people attempt to use it for laundry.
7. BORROWING, OWNERSHIP, AND OTHER DANGEROUS ASSUMPTIONS – Hotels provide generously, but not without limits. Slippers and toiletries may accompany you home; larger items most certainly may not.
8. MARSHALLING ONE’S MORNING REPAST – The breakfast buffet is not a free-for-all, but a civilised ritual governed by the simple act of queuing.
9. THE FOLLY OF FLAG PLANTING BY TOWEL – Placing a towel on a sun lounger at dawn and vanishing until mid-afternoon is a practice best left unadopted.
10. LOYALTY, AND WHY IT GETS ONE FURTHER – By consolidating bookings and collecting rewards, one quietly accumulates tangible benefits.
Those polled were also asked which nationalities they consider to be the gold standard for politeness – and which ones they perceive to be rudest.
Japanese tourists came top for being the most considerate, followed by Sweden in second place, with U.K. respondents placing themselves third.
At the other end of the scale, Americans are regarded as the most impolite, just beneath those from Germany, according to Hotels.com research conducted through OnePoll.
William Hanson said: “Better hotel etiquette doesn’t just benefit others, it can directly enhance your own stay.
“At the heart of my guide is the idea that small, thoughtful behaviours add up to big rewards: from a better night’s sleep and improved service to savings on future trips.”
TOP 20 BIGGEST HOTEL FAUX PAS:
- Being rude to hotel staff
- Being really loud (e.g., loud hallway conversations, blasting music late at night or early in the morning)
- Putting the incorrect number of guests on the reservation
- Becoming drunk and annoying other guests
- Not reading the reviews when booking
- Smoking or vaping in hotel rooms
- Not looking at the pictures when booking
- Leaving rooms excessively messy at check-out
- Washing undergarments or personal items in the in‑room coffee maker
- Stealing items you’re not supposed to from the room
- Jumping the queue at the hotel breakfast buffet
- Reserving pool or beach chairs with towels or personal belongings for long periods
- Playing music on a personal speaker at the pool
- Allowing pets at the table in the hotel restaurant
- Bringing children into the adults‑only pool
- Sneaking extra guests into rooms
- Walking through hotel hallways or common areas wearing only a robe or sleepwear
- Not collecting reward points when booking
- Not checking out on time
- Leaving rubbish or room‑service trays in the hallway